Auzz's XVS 650 Bobber

[Venomauzz]

Thought I'd share some pics of my newest arrival on here.

I bought it for my birthday this year already pretty much customized, I've added a few minor touches so far but have plans for more.

So, as I bought it:

After I messed with it:

Looking to have an alternate set of bars, either beach style or Chubby Knuckle 1 1/4 bars and hopefully a springer front end. Although I may just save that idea for when I build a classic bike into a bobber once I get a garage.

Whitewall paint has failed so will look into replacing it or just replacing the tyres with Avon's that are already whitewalled.

Auzz

[fieldarcher]

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz another hd lookaite.

[Noise]

Well they are pretty much a poor mans Harley i take my hat off to any one who buys the equivilate of these bikes in harley form (the soft tail or DYna Glide) which will no doubt set you back in excess of £8k........so um.....yer ANOTHER harley davidson look alike......But then so is mine....o and every one else that owns a Dragstar even the ones that have the highway hawk catalogue bolted to there bikes.

EACH TO THERE OWN.

[Ttaskmaster]

You mean it's a Cruiser?

I don't like Harleys.

I bough the Drag because I liked it best of all.

Nothing to do with how much money I have and even if I was rich as feck, I'd still not buy a Harley - For the one reason that I've not found one I liked.

What you riding? R6? Kawasaki wannabe clone!!

Power Ranger junk! Look at me, look how fast I can crash!

Do you have a Rossi haircut as well? :-)

But seriously, so what. The whole point is to have the bike you like, regardless of who makes it. Just because Harley are THE big name in Cruisers, doesn't mean we all want one...

[Toutsuite]

Agree with mr T. I've yet to find a Harley as pretty as a well sorted Draggie. While bobbers aren't quite my bag, I can appreciate the "stripped" ethos. And HDs *are* expensive - to buy, to fill up, to service, and to accessorize. And you really are paying for a badge more than anything. it's not like you're buying exceptional build quality or reliability.

Oh, and an R6? I bet you love changing your tyres every 6 months! Has it tried to kill you yet? :-)

[gizmo666]

You mean it's a Cruiser?

I don't like Harleys.

I bough the Drag because I liked it best of all.

Nothing to do with how much money I have and even if I was rich as feck, I'd still not buy a Harley - For the one reason that I've not found one I liked.

What you riding? R6? Kawasaki wannabe clone!!

Power Ranger junk! Look at me, look how fast I can crash!

Do you have a Rossi haircut as well? :-)

But seriously, so what. The whole point is to have the bike you like, regardless of who makes it. Just because Harley are THE big name in Cruisers, doesn't mean we all want one...

the same reason i bought a draggie

in our club there are a whole lot of harleys personally i dont think i could ever afford one

the dragster holds its own with them and once i get my loud pipes fitted will sound similar as well i hope

oh and ttaskmaster just coz you asked i got long hair haha

[Leatherat]

I have a Harley, I sold my 650 Dragstar to buy it (had to put a shed load more cash into the pot though)

In my opinion..................

650 Dragstar: The bike looked fantastic, rode very well, was vey comfortable and never let me down. General consumable parts were readilly available and fairly affordable. I fitted a screen (which made motorway cruising speeds so much more acceptable) a pair of leather saddlebags and straight through exhausts, all of which made the bike look more like the Harley Davidson Heritage Softail that I really wanted but couldn't afford. I found the only real downside of the XVS650 Dragstar is the power output. They're just too gutless, they are ok in town, but on the open road there's just not enough go. I don't want to ride like rossi, but if I'm following a car at 50 on a national speed limit road, I like to be able to snap the throlle open and overtake without it taking all day. I think if I'd have bought the 1100 dragstar I'd have kept it, rather than buying the Harley.

Harley Davidson: The Harley really is a great bike.........no really, it is. It has nearly double the CC's of the Dragstar producing an abundance of low end torque, it's not fast, although it's faster than the dragstar, in a straight line it's stable and feels great, but in a corner, its a bit like sitting on an Iron bed frame on a bouncy castle (which has a charm of its own I guess) Parts are readilly available, but unless you're very selective as to where you shop, can be astronomically expensive (how's £5.20 for a brake calliper bleed nipple sound!) The good things about Harleys are numerous....... including the whole Wild Hog-esque sub-culture you by into. It seems to be generally accepted that the Harley is not a well built or reliable bike, but speaking as I find, mine has yet to give any creedance to that ascertion, having never let me down mechanically, oh and they do hold thier price, resale values are always good, unlike the vast majority of Japanese machines I've had over the years.

The XVS650 is what it is, and for the price what it is is a good bike, and the one in the pics above looks great, whether it looks like a Harley or not.(loose the whitewalls though)

[neversaydie]

Plain and simple, the Dragstar 650 is a real good looking bike, and good build quality.

Its down to every mans taste, but Ive yet to see a HD looking as good as a well looked after Dragstar

[Leatherat]

but Ive yet to see a HD looking as good as a well looked after Dragstar

Well, have a look at this baby! This is a Harley Davidson Heritage Softail (See a vague resembelance to the Dragstar? Hmmm...........I wonder what Yamaha used for inspiration?)

[neversaydie]

Yep, thats a decent looking bike

But I think Toutsuites draggie looks better

I cant help it, its not brand loyalty, the draggies look better in my view. They may be half the price, 2/3rds the weight, half the engine size, come to a stop in half the distance, and only have half the "street cred", but they are more than equal in looks

[Toutsuite]

Cheers NSD!

I think the dragstar classic looks like the HD heritage soft tail, the dragstar custom looks more like the dyna wide glide (or the other way around!) In any case HD aren't the only ones to have made cruisers, other american companies were making them in the 30's when they were first developed. So just because a bike's a cruiser. doesn't make it an HD clone.

HD bikes are good looking, there's no denying that. Leathy's sportster is a nice bit of kit and will always have more cred than mine, and that's fine, it's just how these things are!

[Leatherat]

But I think Toutsuites draggie looks better

Really????

No offence Touts, but............Really????

[neversaydie]

Well, have a look at this baby! This is a Harley Davidson Heritage Softail (See a vague resembelance to the Dragstar? Hmmm...........I wonder what Yamaha used for inspiration?)

Picture this, white backgrounds like the HD etc.

Beauty lies in the eye of the beholder. I'd still pick the draggie, even if I could afford the HD

[Toutsuite]

Leathy, none taken mate!

neversaydie, you could have picked a later pic showing how she looks now, with new pipes, saddlebags and new grips!

Is it me or does the silver draggie also vaguely evoke certain classic british bikes of yesteryear, as well as american cruisers? Can't quite put my finger on which one though...

[gizmo666]

Well, have a look at this baby! This is a Harley Davidson Heritage Softail (See a vague resembelance to the Dragstar? Hmmm...........I wonder what Yamaha used for inspiration?)

the dragster classic took it a bit further by adding a similar front mudguard and shrouding the forks but there is unmistakable similarities

[Noise]

I do agree that they are verey similar but if your into engines then you will agree that the harley engines are much better looking than the XVS range! I have never been a fan of saddle bags and every optional extra going (i see the pratical reasons for them but they are horrid!)

As i said on my first post to this topic its each to there own and that the XVS range, even the Honda shadows etc are a poor mans harley just like a Toyota MR2 is a poors mans Farrari. The Dragstars are more reliable than Harley's along with the price of parts BUT Harley's have more grunt for your buck and "Personally" they have a much better finish on them where the Dragstars seem to have been thrown together in a mass hurry with no real attetion to detail (or am i just talking about the state of my bike when i started to strip it lol)

[fieldarcher]

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz, Sorry guys but if you want a HD clone try a Victory or maybe even a Triumph.

yes i want to ride fast, corner, and stop quickly. I am 60 plus so cannot easily ride a sport bike, so I played. No bolt on goodies, no custom shop job, just my time and the fun of doing my fing.

[Ttaskmaster]

I wonder what Yamaha used for inspiration?)

They made a Cruiser.

Almost ALL cruisers look basically like that, with the exceptions of things like the DN-01 and the G-Strider, which are still Cruisers/Sports-Cruisers but look like space bikes!

oh and ttaskmaster just coz you asked i got long hair haha

Agree with mr T.

Shuddup crayzeh FOOL... I ain't gettin' on no playne, Hanibal... Get some NUTS!!!

the draggies look better in my view.

Precisely.

Most Harleys have this steep upward slope on the tank and over-reclined seats. Drags actually look as long and low as they are because of the flatter profile. In fact, nothing else looks quite as long and low, which is the main styling thing for me.

Also, I always HATED how Harley hang the indicators off the bars like orange snot-drops... Not a plus point for me. Just looks weird.

Price - Drags win, every time. Once a 650 falls to about £2,500-3,000 it holds it's value as long as it's looked after. Besides, if I had a £20k bike, I'd never want to take it out and do the crazy shit I do on my Drag, for fear of scratching the bugger!!

Build quality - Parts are cheap(ish), so not an issue.

Plus, I can happily bugger about with the Drag - I'd be seriously worried about customising a Harley in the same the way, mainly as my mods are all functional and kinda unusual.

Wild Hogs culture.... yeah.... so not my thing.

Until recently, when an unfortunate hidden rust incident forced me to change, I LOVED having the quietest Cruiser on the planet.

Even now, my pipes are pretty hush for what a Cruiser usually is. Even the Mrs's Drag is louder (unless I remove my removable baffles, of course....)!!

I always say, horses for courses and ride what YOU like for the reasons YOU have.

That's why I ride mine - It's comfy on my awkward frame, cheapish, indelicate, maintainance-friendly, doesn't have to look showroom pristine and will stand up to anything I put it through. Even as unbalanced and abused as it is, my bike will outperform most cages around here and a good few of the bikes as well.

I'm proud of that!!

[fieldarcher]

You mean it's a Cruiser?

I don't like Harleys.

I bough the Drag because I liked it best of all.

Nothing to do with how much money I have and even if I was rich as feck, I'd still not buy a Harley - For the one reason that I've not found one I liked.

What you riding? R6? Kawasaki wannabe clone!!

Power Ranger junk! Look at me, look how fast I can crash!

Do you have a Rossi haircut as well? :-)

But seriously, so what. The whole point is to have the bike you like, regardless of who makes it. Just because Harley are THE big name in Cruisers, doesn't mean we all want one...

Agree with mr T. I've yet to find a Harley as pretty as a well sorted Draggie. While bobbers aren't quite my bag, I can appreciate the "stripped" ethos. And HDs *are* expensive - to buy, to fill up, to service, and to accessorize. And you really are paying for a badge more than anything. it's not like you're buying exceptional build quality or reliability.

Oh, and an R6? I bet you love changing your tyres every 6 months! Has it tried to kill you yet? :-)

Do you ever check out members pics before you post anything, You accuse me of riding a clone, and its obvious to anybody that cruisers are not clones like other every other cruiser around, if someone is going to make a bobber they should look at the US sites as this is where this look came from, high cowhorns and a single seat do not make a bobber. If I ever want to buy a cruiser type bike I will buy a Triumph twin as these in my humble opinion look and sound better.

[Noise]

Just to help you out in your bobber argument.

A bobber is a custom motorcycle that usually has had the front fender removed, the rear fender "bobbed" or made smaller, and all superfluous parts removed to make it lighter.

The bobber was the earliest simple and stripped down custom motorcycle hand-built by individuals with mechanical skills and often part of the early biker clubs scene before there were any such thing as choppers. It is a style of custom motorcycle which took shape in the 1940s and 50s, generally thought to have been started by returning WW II American servicemen working on ex-military motorcycles and inspired by lighter European motorcycles they had seen and ridden.

The bikes reflected their owners and were often homemade but today there are many companies that create such vehicles. The style has also influenced motorcycle manufacturers such as Harley-Davidson.

The style continues to be favored by some to this day. Hybrid styles have emerged such as as a "bobber chopper" and retro-bobber

Bobbers are related to choppers in that they represent a minimalistic approach where the motorcycle is stripped of parts or accessories not needed but bobbers generally retain the characteristics of the stock frame.

The principal difference between a bobber and chopper is that bobbers are typically built around unmodified frames. Chopper frames are often cut and welded into shape. Bobbers also often lack most of the chopper's aesthetic characteristics such as chromed parts and elongated forks. Thus, bobbers are fairly easy to create from stock motorcycles and are generally hand built.

The term chopper started to be used from the late 1960s onwards, for motorcycles whose frames had been customized to have a greater angle at which the front suspension protruded with smaller fuel tanks and tall handlebars called ape hangers. For many owners, the difference between bobbers and choppers doesn't come down to what's on the motorcycle but what isn't on it and whether it has a short front end or a long front end, stretched suspension defining it as a chopper.

Whereas customized motorcycles can be extremely expensive, bobber builders tend to adopt an economical approach involving old, second hand, recycled parts and hand machined items redolent of the period before the mass-market motorcycle accessory industry had developed.

Bobbers are considered to be the first streetfighter style motorcycle.